comedy

IndyFringe: Copyright/Safe

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This is part of IndyFringe 2021, Aug. 19-Sept. 5 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By Wendy Carson and John L. Belden

Playwright Casey Ross has brought to the Fringe her love letter to the comics industry, particularly Marvel and its X-Men franchise.

In “Copyright/Safe,” the characters are members of a superhero team who are self-aware in a manner much like professional wrestlers — they know their lives are scripted, but it still hurts when they fall.

The show begins with Badger (Dave Pelsue) and Creature (Doug Powers) graveside, mourning the loss of their creator. With his passing, the team’s future seems to be in limbo, adding to the tension among team members. Eyepatch (Zach Stonerock), the ersatz leader, is missing and while their final issue is at the printer, no one seems to know what the future holds.

Badger deals with the situation by drinking heavily and expressing his feelings through music (songs written by Pelsue) at his small club. He also tolerates sharing his apartment with Mask (Taylor Cox) a fan-fiction character who appeared in an episode of the Z-Men cartoon, which makes him an official part of the world.

Whether or not you are familiar with comic books, the very real dynamic of a group of people wondering about their futures is indentifiable to all. Ross is brilliant at tense and relatable dialogue, even in a setting such as this. For fans of “sequential art,” note that atmospherically this play brings the style of a graphic novel to life better than most superhero films.

This touching drama is also comic in the sense of having truly hilarious moments.

One important note, however: though comic books are traditionally for children, the language in this show is quite “Rated M for Mature.”

Performances are in the IndyFringe Theatre.

IndyFringe: The Breakfast Clue

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This is part of IndyFringe 2021, Aug. 19-Sept. 5 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

Defiance Comedy brings us annother hilarious Fringe show. Blending the movies “The Breakfast Club” and “Clue” with about a half a dozen song parodies, they give us a delightful sendup of ’80s comedies.

It turns out that all of the charcters are in detention because they were being blackmailed. Someone is going to die, and they group must solve the mystey before they end up in detention forever,

Shelby Myers delights as Allison P. Cock, the weird and kind of sexy basket case. Emily Schaab sparkles as Claire Scarlett, the Princess doing whatever it takes to keep herself on top, Pat Mullen seems perfectly cast as the nerdy Anthony Michael Mustard. John Kern brings an endearing fragility to his character of Jock Estevez. While Clay Mabbitt’s portrayal of John Jacob JingleHeimerPlum falls a bit flat at first, it does perk up very near the end. And of course, who could forget the enimetable Rob Johansen as the zany principal trying to keep this group in line.

Come to the show to find out who was killed and why. Just remember, there’s no crying over skimmed milk. Performances at the District Theatre.

IndyFringe: small Gods/BIG Problems

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This is part of IndyFringe 2021, Aug. 19-Sept. 5 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

Jay (Aaron Henze) used to be a Satyr; he partied with Dionysus, but now he exists merely as the God of Small Pleasures. He discovers that he is about to be de-Deified and is desperate to prevent it. His friends Sage (Courtney Peacock), a former Vestal virgin, and Nelson (Robert Webster Jr.), God of Functional Anxiety, try to help advise him on how to prevent his fate.

Devin (Trick Blanchfield), the demonic “Competition,” offers to help him out but Jay decides to try to become a member of another team.

Jay begs Inanna (Leslie Root), Goddess of Love and Justice, to allow him to join her team. She gives him a test to decide. He must make a couple (Allison Reddick and Ryan Reddick) fall in love without the help of her team, Chemistry (Case Jacobus), Shared Interests (Webster) and Timing (Marie McNelis).

Will Jay succeed, or will he lose his powers – and maybe even his horns? Come see this delightful show by Mary Karty at the IndyFringe Theatre and find out. You will truly feel blessed by its sweet sincerity and charm.

IndyFringe: Joyous Faggotry – The Ron Popp Story

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This is part of IndyFringe 2021, Aug. 19-Sept. 5 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

Ron Popp is back, and his comedy chops are as honed as ever. He chose the title for this show because it sounded like something from a Tennessee Williams play.

Topics here range from how he coped with the Covid lockdown; to his favorite book as a child; to dating, marriage, and drugs.

You will also learn some fun ways to get revenge on your conservative family members without them knowing it. Also, why are guns the only thing that someone can purchase to collect in order to make others feel threatened?

As with his last show here, I am at a loss to say more about the show without spoiling his jokes. Needless to say, he will have you close to rolling out of your seat with laughter. Popp is quickly becoming one of my favorite comedians of the Fringe and you should really see him now before he becomes so famous he won’t do shows in Indy anymore.

See him at the Indy Eleven Theatre.

IndyFringe: How I Got My Warts Prayed Off

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This is part of IndyFringe 2021, Aug. 19-Sept. 5 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

Mandee McKelvey grew up in a trailer park in rural South Carolina. Her family was so poor that she had to take a bath with her brother well into her teens to conserve hot water.

During her teen years she began having warts all over her hands and feet. After suffering both physically and socially for more than two years, her mom asked her if she wanted to see a doctor about them. However, she ended up in a dry cleaners with a guy named Bob praying that she would be alleviated of her burden.

While that may have worked, at 13 she became aware that she was developing another physical deformity, and prayer was not going to help this out at all. In fact, she is still coping with this situation. Yet her story is light, funny and hopeful, even if she has become the basis for medical research due to the uniqueness of her plight.

You should definitely come and witness her saga, and learn the truth of the “Pumpkin Nut Foundation.”

IndyFringe: Honk Squawk Love

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This is part of IndyFringe 2021, Aug. 19-Sept. 5 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

In the Beginning, God allows Satan to create the ultimate nuisance for Man, the dreaded Branta Canadensis (a/k/a Canada goose).

At least this is what Abigail believes. She hates these foul waterfowl, which infest every parking lot and corporate park — and they hate her, triggering her terror. It’s bad enough that events have taken her from a teaching job she enjoys to occupying a cubicle in a corporate processing center, but also the path to her workplace is beset by one of these horrid creatures, which gives chase. Then one day, Chris, a nonplussed IT tech outside on a smoke break, stands up to the goose. Man and bird lock eyes, and something changes.

I must curse the genius of playwright and director Paige Scott, who, in her comic drama, “Honk Squawk Love,” actually gets me — and other otherwise rational people — to feel for a damn Canada goose. We also see the struggle of Abigail (Elysia Rohn) as we learn not only of her phobia but also her recent backstory, which left another deep emotional scar. And we learn about Chris (Tyler Lyons) as he comes to understand more of himself through his unlikely and oddly tender relationship with the bird they call Lucy (Courtney McClure Murray).

This is an outstanding short play, possibly the best show of this year’s Fringe. The story unfolds with genuine feeling as the humans’ bizarre circumstance brings on needed changes and growth. Rohn proves a reliable narrator, even of her own pain. Lyons gives what starts as a loner-nerd caricature, dimension and likability. And Murray masterfully moves and squawks as a sort of full-body puppet with her arm the graceful neck of our heroine, Lucy. We even feel comfortable with the absurd conversations between Chris and his avian friend (perhaps it’s just hashing things out with himself as the goose honks along, but Scott’s script puts it through his perception).

If at all possible, you must see this, playing at the District Theatre. Don’t let any bird stand in your way, Tippy.

IndyFringe: Wife Material

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This is part of IndyFringe 2021, Aug. 19-Sept. 5 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

While Toni Smith has known his wife over half of his life, they have only been married for three years.

Marriage changes a person, as does any commitment that lasts until you die. It made Toni want to eat healthier, exercise more, and become a better wife — wait, what?!

Toni’s realization that, at the age of 30, he is actually a she came as a bit of a shock to him, his wife, and, of course, his family. Still, considering her parents were married in a drive-through chapel in Vegas and her sister came out as a lesbian several years ago, they shouldn’t be too shocked, right?

However, this show is about so much more than this one topic. It covers The true perversion of “Gender Reveal Parties,” the cult of the “American Girl” dolls, sex talks from your dad, and, of course, sexuality through ice cream.

Smith is a hilariously original new comedic voice and this is a show not to be missed. Also, note that being a smaller venue, the Indy Eleven stage at the IndyFringe building will likely sell out quickly.

So get your tickets now, and remember that it’s OK to order vanilla ice cream in public.

IndyFringe: DadBod

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This is part of IndyFringe 2021, Aug. 19-Sept. 5 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By Wendy Carson

Brad Hinshaw has three children born in the span of just four years. And especially after everyone being confined to home over the last year and a half, doing this show is giving him a great excuse to get away from that chaos for a while.

He regales us with stories of being a dad and dealing with a pregnant wife. We find out that Lactation Cookies not only are a thing that exists but also they are delicious (especially with an oatmeal stout).

Hinshaw also warns us of the dangers of both “Lightning Crotch” and “Bowling Alley Jello Shots”.

His stories are funny, interesting, and relatable, even if he is an “Emotional Terminator.” This being his first chance to try material in front of someone besides toddlers, not everything will have a punchline as he works on his new standup routine. Still, if it doesn’t bring a laugh, it will bring a smile.

This ever-evolving show is a must-see for anyone who is, or will be, a parent. Performances are on the Indy Eleven stage of the IndyFringe building.

IndyFringe: Driving Kenneth and Betsy Ross

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This is part of IndyFringe 2021, Aug. 19-Sept. 5 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

To say that Kenneth is stuck in his ways would be an understatement. A true Southerner, he won’t even travel north of the Mason-Dixon line, because the wrong side won The War. Fortunately for this lifelong Virginian, his new great-grandson is down in Atlanta, and his Liberal son Colin has agreed to drive him and his wife Betsy Ross down for a visit. Hopefully there will be a casino on the way.

Set in 2010, “Driving Kenneth and Betsy Ross,” by frequent Fringe contributor Garret Mathews (directed by wife Mary Anne Mathews), is based on his relationship with his own parents. 

Colin (Thom Johnson) is not looking forward to this road trip, and Kenneth (David Mosedale) isn’t making it any easier. It doesn’t help that Colin’s job is writing books on the Civil Rights era, or as his father puts it, “about the Negroes.” They bicker, as sweet Betsy Ross (Wendy Brown) tries to smooth things between them. When he can speak alone with her, Colin asks why she is so accommodating when she doesn’t believe everything he does; she brushes this off, citing her traditional wifely duty, but eventually on this long road, she’ll find her voice. 

Like many whites of his generation, Kenneth is more passively than actively racist, blind to his lack of perspective. Mosedale plays him with a steadfast curmudgeonly conviction that never rises to anger with a touch of humor to make him likable (or at least lets you see how son and wife could love him). Brown plays Betsy with natural ease. Johnson (who has ably taken the narrator role in plays such as “Drowsy Chaperone”) is our window into their world, and we feel Colin’s struggle to make connections with elderly kin he might not see again.

I must also note the craftsmanship of the main prop, a very solid-looking front half of an automobile crafted by Tom Harrison.

There’s quite a few laughs, some familial and conversational tension, and a lot of heart in this sentimental journey. So pack your “change-a-roonies” and beef jerky, and head on over to the Murat Oasis for this show.  

IndyFringe: The Betsy-Patsy Show

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This is part of IndyFringe 2021, Aug. 19-Sept. 5 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

This autobiographical “dramusicomedy” written and performed by Elizabeth Young-Collins, with writing and direction by Holly Hathaway Thompson, easily lends itself to comparisons to the popular show, “Always – Patsy Cline,” which would be unfair as that show is about Cline, while “The Betsy-Patsy Show” is about Young-Collins, as she looks back on her troubled life with an eye towards her childhood idol, leaning on the Country legend’s hits to put her own events in perspective.

Betsy is a recently-accomplished singer, and she shows us the path that took her here as she unpacks “the last damn box from the attic,” reflecting on running for Miss Muncie (Pennsylvania), her parents’ alcoholism, plus the discouragement – and encouragement – she received along the way. In Cline’s songs she found comfort, and in her tragic story a fellow traveler. She shares both with us with a raw sweetness and gentle humor that leaves us relieved she finally found someone “who could carry my sound system,” with hope that, maybe, we can, too.

It is a gem of a show that can use a bit of a polish, but with her willingness to be vulnerable on stage, I’m rooting for her. This is the kind of personal performance we go to Fringe for, with performances in the Murat Oasis.